Kitchen Appliances

A microwave is one of those appliances most people use every single day but barely think about. You grab whatever was on sale at the big-box store and live with uneven heating and a confusing interface for years. A decent microwave — one that fits how you actually cook — makes a real difference. These days you can get smart models that scan barcodes, inverter ones that defrost without cooking the edges, or basic workhorses that just heat reliably. We tested 7 to find the ones worth your counter space. ...

Making yogurt at home sounds like the kind of thing people with a lot of time and a sourdough starter do. But it’s actually simpler than making most breakfasts. Heat milk, cool it, stir in a spoonful of live yogurt, keep it warm for 8-12 hours, and you’re done. A yogurt maker just handles the “keep it warm” part — maintaining a steady 108-112°F so the cultures do their work without needing you to check a heating pad or an oven pilot light. ...

Induction cooking is faster, more efficient, and more precise than gas or electric resistance. The magnetic field heats the pan directly — no burner to warm up, no heat radiating into the kitchen, no waiting for the surface to cool. A portable induction cooktop gives you all of that in a unit that slides into a drawer when you’re done. We tested 7 portable induction cooktops side by side — boiling water, searing steaks, simmering sauces, and hitting each one with a thermometer gun to see how well they actually maintain temperature. ...

A food dehydrator is one of those appliances you don’t realize you need until you taste homemade beef jerky or apple rings dried at the perfect temperature. Store-bought jerky costs a small fortune per pound, dried fruit is loaded with added sugar, and herb drying takes weeks in open air. A good dehydrator pays for itself inside a year. The problem: most people pick a dehydrator based on price and end up with one that dries unevenly, takes 18 hours for a batch of jerky, or sounds like a helicopter taking off. We tested 7 models — stackable round units, shelf-style boxes, and high-end stainless steel machines — to find which ones actually dry food evenly without driving you out of the kitchen. ...

Electric pressure cookers have taken over a lot of kitchens because they do one thing well that other kitchen appliances don’t: cook a tough cut of beef from rock-hard to fall-apart tender in 45 minutes. The same pot can also work as a slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, saute pan, and yogurt maker. A good multi-cooker can pull double or triple duty and free up counter space by replacing three other appliances. ...

An electric griddle is one of those kitchen appliances that doesn’t get the hype of an air fryer or Instant Pot — but once you own one, you use it constantly. Pancakes for a crowd, bacon and eggs without babysitting, grilled cheese for the whole family, smash burgers, fajitas, even stir-fry. The flat, open cooking surface means you’re not working in batches. I tested 7 griddles — from a $25 Proctor Silex to a $150 Zojirushi — and what I found might surprise you if you’ve only ever used a skillet. ...

A food processor turns the prep work you’ve been doing by hand into something that takes seconds. Salsa, coleslaw, pie dough — all faster than finding your chef’s knife. If a blender handles liquids and a stand mixer handles batters, the food processor owns everything in between: chopping, slicing, shredding, pureeing, and kneading dough. The catch is that the wrong size makes the thing useless. A 4-cup mini chopper won’t handle pizza dough. A 14-cup full-size machine is a lot of counter space for dicing one onion. And the blade assembly matters more than the wattage on the box. We tested 6 of the best food processors in 2025 across the size and price spectrum. ...

Let’s be realistic about what $500 buys in the espresso world. Not a La Marzocco. Not dual boilers or PID temperature control you can program from your phone. What it gets you, if you pick the right machine, is genuinely good espresso — thick crema, proper extraction, steam that doesn’t taste like hot foam. But the sub-$500 category is littered with machines that look the part and perform terribly. We tested the most popular models to separate the ones worth your money from the shelf queens. ...

Air fryers have gone from a niche gadget to a kitchen essential in just a few years — and for good reason. They crisp up fries, roast vegetables, and even bake small batches of cookies using a fraction of the oil (and time) of a conventional oven. But with dozens of models on the market, picking the right one can be overwhelming. In 2025, air fryers fall into three main categories: classic basket-style models (compact, fast, and affordable), oven-style units (larger capacity, more versatile), and dual-zone machines (cook two foods at once, each with their own settings). We tested the best in each category to help you find the right one for your cooking style, household size, and budget — from under $50 to around $200. ...

A good blender is the workhorse of a modern kitchen — it makes morning smoothies, purees soups, crushes ice for cocktails, and grinds nuts into butter. A bad blender leaves you with chunky smoothies, burnt-out motors, and that sinking feeling that you just threw money at a paperweight. The difference between the two comes down to motor power, jar design, and blade engineering — and in 2025, there’s a blender for every budget and use case. ...